The all-new Alfa Romeo Tonale was revealed only recently, on February 8 to be exact. Rumors of a new small crossover from Dodge called the Hornet first surfaced in June 2021. The last we heard anything about the Hornet was in August, when new rumors said it would be built alongside the Tonale.
Now, a pair of photos allegedly show the Hornet uncovered, albeit in small portions. If these images are indeed Dodge's new small SUV, there could be more than just a common platform underneath. A video reportedly posted to an Alfa Romeo Facebook group claimed to show footage from the Alfa factory in Pomigliano d'Arco. The video is no longer available, but a couple of screenshots survived in the forums at Autopareri.com and eventually made it to social media.
One image shows the front of a very red SUV with a resemblance to the new Tonale. The hood is different, and there are changes to the front fascia and headlights, but the proportions seem to match. Swapping fascias and headlights on an identical platform isn't any big deal.
The second image captures the interior, and here's where things get a bit more interesting. Portions of the dash are still under covers, but what's visible looks pretty much identical to the Tonale's layout. The center console and center stack are a match, as is the steering wheel but with one notable exception – the Dodge badge replacing the Alfa Romeo crest on the airbag.
We previously reported that the Hornet would likely share the Tonale's platform and plug-in hybrid arrangement. A turbocharged 2.0-liter engine is rumored to be in the mix for Dodge, but we haven't heard anything about other possible combinations or trims, such as an RT version. Considering the similarities seen here, it's not a stretch to say the Tonale and Hornet could be veritable clones, with Dodge targeting lower-priced competition versus the Alfa's luxury crowd.
With the Tonale now official, we should see something on the Hornet later this year.
